The present invention relates to a water-repellent and oil-repellent treatment agent. In more particular terms, the present invention relates to a treatment agent which, by virtue of an excellent compatibility among its components, can impart an excellent water repellency and oil repellency to such materials as fibers, textiles, plastics, metals, porous inorganics, and so forth.
Water repellency can be imparted to fibers, textiles, etc., by treatment with methylhydrogenpolysiloxane or dimethylpolysiloxane; however, the oil repellency remains poor in such cases. As a consequence, it has been recommended that organopolysiloxane be used in combination with a perfluoroalkyl-containing compound.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (Kokai or Unexamined) Number 53-81799 (81,799/78) proposes the treatment of textiles using the mixture of dimethylpolysiloxane and/or methylhydrogenpolysiloxane with a fluoroalkyl-containing water-and-oil repellent. However, because these two components are incompatible and cannot be homogeneously interdispersed by dissolution, the durability of the effects of the treatment is poor. Otherwise, Japanese Patent Publication Number 58-1232 (1,232/83) and Japanese Patent Publication Number 59-47071 (47,071/84) disclose the combined use of a fluoroalkyl-containing compound and a reactive group-containing organopolysiloxane (reactive group=epoxy, amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, etc.). Nevertheless, the same problem as before again arises in this case due to the same absence of compatibility between the fluoroalkyl-containing compound and organopolysiloxane as encountered for Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Number 53-81799. Japanese Patent Publication Number 60-29778 (29,778/85), which has an inventor in common with the present invention, discloses a fiber or textile treatment agent with the following composition:
(1) organopolysiloxane whose molecule contains the fluorocarbon group and at least 3 silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms, and PA1 (2) condensation catalyst; or PA1 (1) organopolysiloxane whose molecule contains PA1 (2) organohydrogenpolysiloxane, and PA1 (3) condensation catalyst. PA1 (A) an organopolysiloxane which contains in each molecule at least 2 silicon-bonded groups selected from hydroxyl groups and alkenyl groups and at least 1 perfluoroalkyl-containing, silicon-bonded monovalent group wherein said perfluoroalkyl group has at least 6 carbon atoms, PA1 (B) an organopolysiloxane which contains in each molecule at least 2 silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms and at least 1 perfluoroalkyl-containing, silicon-bonded monovalent group wherein said perfluoroalkyl group has at least 6 carbon atoms, and PA1 (C) an effective amount of a curing catalyst.
(a) silicon-bonded hydroxyl at the molecular chain terminals and PA2 (b) the fluorocarbon group,
Or course, the problem of compatibility is moot in the case of the first composition. However, in the case of the second composition, while components (1) and (2) are similar organopolysiloxanes, component (1) does contain the fluorocarbon group while component (2) lacks the fluorocarbon group, and their compatibility is poor as a consequence. Thus, for example, separation into two layers occurs when components (1) and (2) are mixed and stored. This poor storage stability and poor compatibility leads to the problem of a non-uniform or inhomogeneous reactivity.